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Meet Board Member Emeritus Sally Kleberg – Steward of Land, Legacy, and Learning

For Sally Kleberg, Nicholas School Board member emeritus and long-time donor, caring for the land is a birthright, woven through generations of her South Texas family. Part of the fifth generation of the family that founded King Ranch, a 170-year-old family-owned ranch in Texas, Sally was taught early that survival […]

Alumni Q&A: Interview with Chad Nelsen MEM’96

Interview by Julie Furr Youngman, T’87, SOE’94, JD’94 Dr. Chad Nelsen is the CEO of Surfrider Foundation, a national nonprofit dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the world’s oceans. He grew up on the coast of California, surfing, swimming, fishing, and, for his first job, lifeguarding at Laguna Beach. […]

Kirchof Internship Fund Recipients Share their Gratitude

The Karen Kirchof Internship Fund has helped many Nicholas School students gain summer internships to prepare them for careers in the environmental field. Kirchof, who passed away in 2019, influenced the careers of thousands of Nicholas School students during her 27 years as assistant dean and director of the school’s […]

Meet the New 2025 Nicholas Scholars!

This year the Nicholas School welcomed 15 new Nicholas Scholars with expertise ranging from power systems sustainability to ecotoxicology to community-based food production. Meet the new scholars below! Thank you for your support of these talented, driven students, who may not have otherwise had the opportunity to pursue their career […]

Alumni Q&A: Interview with Dr. Henry C. McKoy, Energy Leader and Nicholas School Alumnus

Interview by Wendy Katua, MEM Candidate, Class of 2027 Dr. Henry C. McKoy, Jr., DEL-MEM’11 and President and CEO of Carolina Community Impact (CCI), has built a trailblazing career at the intersection of energy, economic development, and inclusive finance. A nationally recognized leader and former Presidential appointee under the Biden […]

Kira Jacobs MEM’97 reflects on her time at Duke, role as Alumni Council President

We recently had a conversation with Kira Jacobs MEM’97, who was President of the Nicholas School’s Alumni Council for the past two years. She is now on the school’s Board of Visitors. Kira has worked as a water quality scientist with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency since 1997. In September, […]

Beth Schiff gives back to help uncover the links between health and the environment

Nicholas School Board of Visitors member Elizabeth “Beth” York Schiff AB’81, JD’85, P’14, P’22, has a number of reasons to give back. Her parents, Vann and Ann York, were devout Methodists who instilled their values in Beth and her siblings by serving people in need in their community of High […]

More than 150 Nicholas Alums Come Together for 2025 Reunions!

More than 150 alumni congregated at the Nicholas School on the weekend of March 29 to connect with fellow alums over lunch and enjoy a Ted-style talk by Nicholas School faculty. Dean Lori Snyder Bennear welcomed alumni and shared how the Nicholas School is advancing environmental innovations that can make […]

Nicholas School Hosts Board of Visitors and Alumni Council Spring Meeting

The Nicholas School’s Board of Visitors (BOV) and Alumni Council came together on Thursday and Friday, April 3-4, to hear about the latest research being conducted by students and faculty. After a welcome from Dean Lori Bennear and BOV Chair Kathryn Hoenig, MEM candidate Emily Siegel shared her research on […]